a journey called...

The Boston Runners

2013-04-16T12:22:00.001+05:30

When you burst crackers-
On our zeal-
We stand up-
Without legs
Stride on
With determination-

Raging storms
Bellowing battle cries
Our spirits don't die!
Slayers of peace!!

We live to race for victory
Singing slogans of Your Doom.

For those who suffered at The Boston Marathon Bombing 2013.

Book Review: Scarlet Crescent by Rajeshwari Chauhan

2013-04-13T11:04:00.000+05:30

Scarlet Crescent- written by Rajeshwari Chauhan

“For those who dare to leap over Time- The Mighty Clock has prickly hurdles laid on their wake.” The same can be said in case of Scarlet Crescent- written by Rajeshwari Chauhan. Nobility will always be able to sketch the absolute picture of what happens behind the gigantic walls of a kingdom or an empire. And Chauhan scores her first mark right there. With sense of splendor and an eye of acute imagination she is able to retell story of the love from the past. The vibes and the tug of passion are well addressed through the choice of words most appealing to the ear…
But Scarlet Crescent is not exactly what you are thinking. It is a story written like a movie script. The writer has experimented with the format further more and has wrote the whole of it engaging three languages- Urdu, Hindi and English. It never runs in paragraphs- instead actions, and scenes separate each event and occurrence from one another. Dotted with images of Mughal arts, related artifacts objects and most vivid flowers- the book is heavily illustrated- may be too much- to distract the readers.

Indeed Scarlet Crescent is beyond its time. For in India at least a story that reads like a play- refers constantly to different languages -will confuse a layman reader. The use of props to give the mystery element an extra boost will remain in the shadow for overdoing the twist and turns with present time and flashback. Physically the book is too heavy- a normal 223 pages book never makes your hands ache even you lay down on your armchair for a lazy reading afternoon. The cover design will draw interest of many- but once they flip through the book they will find it hard to convince themselves to regard this as their best buy. The sentences are too close to each other- the font size is too small- the margin alignment is not uniform. For a story to reach the heart of its reader- perfect combination of the above points is most mandatory.

A bookworm will give this book a try and even enjoy its nuances of ecstasy and instance word play- the rest of the hurdles he will cross- just to fulfill his appetite- but Scarlet Crescent was surely not written to appease a handful. It is quite oppressing for a writer to see her story getting butchered to such trying presentation. My suggestion would be to readdress all the above issues and give the book a fresh look. For it hurts to see a great story going unnoticed in this fashion.

Note: Umberto Eco’s – The Name of Rose seems close to the way this particular story goes- but that become a bestseller and a masterpiece for it could reach out to the readers right from the beginning.

©shreya chatterjee 2013

Remembering you..

2013-01-14T12:23:00.000+05:30

Even today our love is young.
Strolling like couples
In the new Spring sun.

Been two years,
Still I whisper
The golden words
Each time I say your name.

Been two years,
Still I look for you
Among the dancing maidens.

Been two years
Still your perfume

Tantalizes my senses.

Been two years,
Since I was asked,
To stop counting
The merry springs,
The joyous summers,
The exotic monsoon
And
The cozy winters
I shared with you.

Its hard to count
The many Times
I lost myself in your love

Its hard to live
without you
by my side.

(in Honour of a colonel- who is so in love with his late wife. )

Book Review: The Bankster

2012-11-30T21:00:00.000+05:30

Author: Ravi Subramanian

ISBN: 9788129120489
Binding : Paperback

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Number of Pages: 358

Genre: Fiction
Language: English

About the book:

When big shots write the layman must simply adhere to their fancy words! Tough for the spirit born over burning coal- I must say! With the financial world laying aside their pinkish newspapers and stock ledgers and picking up novels that coined new genre- financial thriller- creativity became more of an universal skill. Lucky to have got introduced to Indian John Grisham from the Banking world aka Ravi
Subramanian.

Mobsters, gangsters have dotted our shady existence- banging their guns at the wee hours, and claiming authority over us- but a Bankster is a tricky evolution. They are robbers employed within the banking sector- pulling strings to heave money while hypnotizing the gullible customers. And who can be a better imposing well-wisher than a woman- who loops the men around her toying fingers- has the political domain as the father figure and an international con for a husband. I am not giving you the name- I should not- it’s a thriller for god’s sake.

Initially it was all about decadent socialites who happen to be working at GB2- but rather have more high spirited pleasures to concentrate on. Its money game- and sledging while parched over rotating chair in comfy rooms- it’s about taking in employees who are ready to wag their tails at your calling. And its about a slash- faced multinational con man smuggling diamonds, and killing innocents abroad with a clean swipe.

If this was it- the story would have been a common 60s sleuth novellas. This is new millennium- and Ravi Subramanian is an ace player. He gives a challenge to reassess your nuclear disaster knowledge- making you look beyond Bhava to a small dot on the Indian map where the controversial Trikakulam Nuclear Power Plant (TNPP) enjoys nation’s attention. A father’s plight is maneuvered into mass hysteria by greedy political figures. And the law is long dead. Krishna Menon- the man in context- is a man standing out of the crowd- who never faltered, much like Raymond the iron man, Harshita- the lady who left the final clue to the riveting mystery accidentally through Wifi. Bankster decides the graphical faith of Greater Boston Global Bank- and the Karan Panjabi is our standing Samaritan. Flip through the pages- you won’t feel fatigue getting the better of you as you jump to and fro from Angola, Kerala and Mumbai.

So if you ask me- what I liked about the book- I would say- the price tag- it’s a worthy buy. The number of pages doesn’t tire you off- you hardly feel your sore bottom! The characters are absolute truth etched out of words- language is showcase of a mastered vocabulary. I haven’t had the heart to pick his previous novels- and I agree I had been a fool. Luck shines on the Indian literary firmament- with intriguing books topping the best selling charts- And Ravi will surely be remembered as one of the best among the record makers.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!

Book review: 45 days in a cancer hospital

2012-11-26T12:32:00.000+05:30

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

ISBN-13: 9789381576823

ISBN-10: 9381576823

No. of Pages: 298

Format: Paperback

Language: English

About the book:

Life is more like a dissected phase- and a certain amount of confinement is sure to drive you hungry for thrill. 45 days in a cancer hospital by Alka Dimri Saklani was a fitful inclusion to such boring confinement. At least the protagonist had the pleasure to have her way out of her hospital bed- all are not so lucky always. I will call the book a medical suspense that dragged itself too long- since it’s her debut. Consolidation is lacking at places- though the thrill, the romance, the sleuth attitudes and the crook are all rightfully placed about the plot.

The story is about a successful writer trying her luck at writing a novel from her close quartered experience. She intends to spend about 45 days in Umeed hospital, live in the proximity of ailing and dying cancer patients with the dominant wish to write a book on their life experiences. But then, the hospital has more to give her than just the saddening tragedies of human lives. Having a mentality disturbed doctor as the man behind the wheels, and few other cheats as assisting doctors- ready to kill anyone trying burst off their nefarious organ racket is enough for a writer to bite on. But our protagonist by god’s grace is sensitive and strikes a bond with the innocent victims right from the beginning. She smells a rat late into the night and turns to her man of interest a CBI official.

I found the setting more dramatic than the story. For you have a psychotic person as a gate keeper, a confusing toiler for a gardener, a disabled person nursing grievances as a pharmacist, some polarized nurses and a whole faculty of doctors holding back a lot of secrets. Not to forget, a malicious peon lurking around to snap your mind into two. And if you are speaking of action-yup! Alka does have them at places- like walking on a thin parapet, being chased by a murderous doctor, taking up disguises to investigate and sneaking around the hospital at night to find out who is the other sneaker prowling at this hour.

On the whole the story could have been a bit shorter- to justify the strong characters that the writer has painstaking etched out. Ashritha and Animesh are fitting lead pairs- and Dr Chatterjee is one person you are bound to feel sorry for- thus-I can afford a 3 out of 5 for the medical thriller laying vanquished on my table right at this moment.

Book review: Mumbaistan

2012-11-22T19:57:00.000+05:30

Mumbaistan by Piyush Jha

Author: Piyush Jha

Format: Paperback
Language: English
Pages:242
Price:195

Publishers: Rupa Publications

ISBN Number: 9788129120175

Talking of Underworld- I am not surprised. Why! Because- you need to paint it in macabre colours- and the red and black combo with a silhouette guy pointing the gun at someone I can’t see is a perfect cover for Piyush jha’s Mumbaistan. Hoot! The name-you can only get them in this part of the world. “Stan”- is so Sanskrit and guys tell me it’s a dead language- say, that again and I will turn you into my punching bag. The book is indeed a punching bag. It never spills the beans, thus waits for you to discover the rotten seeds in our society all by yourself.

I have this special liking for dark characters-no one seems to understand that kids are born angels- but events turn them evil over the years. Readers, who have already spent hours with Piyush’s new installment, can very well understand I am hitting at Rabia, Aalamzeb and Porus Udwadia. I am not so fond of the Coma Man- so I will keep that story out of our discussion. But just in case you wish to hear some of the record babble- here it goes- a man wakes up from a long sleep shocking the good but big mouth nurse, rushes out of the hospital- and makes you walk backwards along with him- tasting communal and personal manipulation- love and jealous and finally getting drowned in tight embrace in the watery abyss.

Chased by windmills of one’s mind- the stories are just some delicious icing over the real Kill bills. You face the reels jumping out of the movie screen as you keep turning the pages. The stories don’t promise you to leave alone. Haunting to the core- justifying their plot line- as if establishing a extraterrestrial code of law. All the three of them are sensational pick depicting city life unless what we desire to see through high rising tinged glass walls. After all only a man behind the view finder is capable of dragging you out of your comfort zone and tell you how- pretty faces turn villains and how love get sold out during chaotic hours of existence. And I got my favorite among them- ACP Hani. Rumour has it- cops eat out from the hands of money powered ring leaders- but not this character. He goes out there and does just what the book asks him to do-hunt the predator and eliminates it as quietly as possible. Indeed a book that keeps you hooked up! Straight 4.5/5 from me!

mothergoose's nest: In an Abusive Relationship? It's Time You Got Out

2012-10-01T01:57:00.003+05:30

mothergoose's nest: In an Abusive Relationship? It's Time You Got Out: Abusive relationships are becoming increasingly common in today’s times. Their worst victims are the teenagers and young adults. Te...

mothergoose's nest: There is no guide book for parenting

2012-10-01T01:57:00.001+05:30

mothergoose's nest: There is no guide book for parenting: A lot has been said and written about parenting. Choices have been weighed, styles have been defined, the dos and don’ts have been ...

mothergoose's nest: Talking Relationships

2012-10-01T01:56:00.001+05:30

mothergoose's nest: Talking Relationships: Relationships are around us have names like parents, siblings, relatives and friends. We are always surrounded by relationship. Eve...

Choked but not dead yet

2012-08-07T14:11:00.000+05:30

People around her thought she was just another normal girl, returning from office. So did the ticket collector. So did the helper hanging half way out of the blue-yellow bus- rushing through crowded streets of an evening bright Kolkata. But she had voices chanting in her mind-" Count your breathing, steady girl, you are almost there. Boarding off the bus-at the heart of the city- she panicked. "How will I cross this road?! My legs are heavy and numb right now, I cant hardly breathe- will I die now? " She looked left and right and took a few steps forward. The evening crowd- carried her away to the other side of the whistling thoroughfare. by then- things were getting out of hand. Gasping for breathe, failing to call for help, she dropped on the pavement- overtaken by a painful seizure. The chanting in her mind had grown louder than ever- "You can't give up, you can't die- your parents are waiting for you at home. You got unfinished tasks at hand. You can't give up- you are too young!" And the world drew dark and some one from a distance seemed to answered, "Didi, are you alright?"

~Recalling How it all began~

Book Review: “Chicken soup for the Indian soul at work”

2012-05-09T10:44:00.000+05:30

(published by REVIEW TEAM)

“Chicken soup for the Indian soul at work” is a book to look out for. After all, it’s subtitled- “teens talk growing up’! There isn’t much confusion about what it deals with. One can sum it all up by saying that this book is a slice of life, talking about people who have faced some tough times and have survived through it all. The focus is on the Indian youngsters. They are the people whom we neglect thinking them to be too young to understand yet bordering adulthood. Yet in their own way they have faced some adversities in life and have battled them, ultimately surpassing them all and coming out on top. The key is not to give up and have unrelenting faith in you even if the situation is utterly hopeless. This book is a tribute to all these individuals.

“Chicken soup for the Indian soul at work” is a jointly authored book by Juhi Rai Farmania, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Before we get to the content of the book, let’s talk about the authors. Juhi rai Farmania, who is a networker, is building an e commerce forum in India and in United Kingdom. The other two authors, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen are known for being #1 New York Times bestselling co authors and have dedicated their skills towards helping other people both personally and professionally.

The book has been written in an interesting way. It is divided into thirteen sections, each dealing with a certain aspect of life. The different sections of the book are as follows:

1. From the CEO’s desk

2. Turning obstacles into opportunities

3. Changing Roles and Industries

4. Leading & Mentoring

5. Balancing personal and professional lives

6. Self – made and successful

7. On lessons learned

8. Humor and fun at work

9. Extraordinary entrepreneurs

10. Persistence and courage

11. Listening to the head and the heart

12. Business – The Hindustani way

13. A message for those starting out.

The best part about the book is that the stories deal with something that is close to one’s heart. It is about real people and the real life adversities that they have faced. The stories reflect endurance and the power of perseverance that has helped them in achieving their positions in life. One of the stories is written by the HR head of Phillips who talks about a night when there were union issues in the office that he had to attend to whilst his wife was in childbirth. This is one among the many stories which reflect the amount of dedication these individuals had in every sphere of their life. I also liked reading “thanks mum”, “dark chocolate”, “in the rain”, “way back home”, “a hard lesson” – name a few.

While the book is highly inspiring and motivational, it has its flipside. The book, though rich enough in content, could have done with better writing and editing. There are words that you one would wish had been avoided. The sentences could have been shortened and the stories could have been reduced in length. This has somehow become and inherent problem with the Indian authors. Another annoying thing about the book is the excessive use of ‘I ‘. Though if considered from another point of view, the book voices the dilemma of the young mind and its muted achievements. Thus the “first person” should be given the honour to talk of itself.

In spite of all that, the book is a good read. It is successful in making its point and is quite pleasurable for passing time, an ideal book for all professionals. On a personal note, it was a exciting to read stories submitted by friends from the virtual world.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review: The Perfect World

2012-02-07T21:54:00.002+05:30

Author: Priya Kumar

Format: Paperback

Language: English

Pages: 319

Price: Rs.275/-

Publishers: Embassy Books

ISBN Number: 9789380227931 / 978-9380227931

About The Book:

So, exactly, when is the right time to think about-“Ah! This life pains, wish I had known the way to Utopia?” Some won’t have given a second thought- if their miserable life would lead them to the enchanting island of Tennyson’s “Lotus Eaters”. But the barter to this rather chance of walking down the illusive path way is never easy- you got to leave behind your sense of rationality.

Denied of the perfect life, Niki Sanders is just like a soul lost among us. Her idea of “The perfect World” kept on running in circles- in a wooded cluster of winding paths and got trapped in the cage of hopelessness. In times of despair often a lost soul catches your attention- and in Niki’s case- it is the believably dead but magically and mysteriously alive Thelda. What enthralls the reader more, is the opportunity to come in contact with life existing beyond the realms of our universe. Priya Kumar- propagates the mirror image of a perfect world- though real- but quite untrue if we are to define its existence through our rationality fed upon monotony. From a doomed existence to a rare chance to share wisdom of superior beings like Bren and Acordorf- “The perfect world” is about getting to know about one’s potential, learning to combat with inner dilemma and deriving profound understanding about oneself. It is the sense of clarity that Niki seemed to lack in the initial pages of the book- but with events revealing newer experiences- she gains the rare spark of confidence- that would alter her pre-existing troubled personality.

Gone are the days of old grandfathering fables, the new age demands the inspiration quotes to be dished out in an out of the box manner. The apathy towards old school lies in the severely repetitive words- as our senses get tuned to more new inventions, discoveries, dreams and imaginative workshops- we require to adapt to utterly different tastes- to claim the global feat. Several self help book- concealed under the veil of a superficial story- are running for the rat race in the book world. “The Perfect World” is one such strong competitor- which tackles a fantastic tale- involves alter universes and never stops at preaching- but in between the lines.

About The Author:

A motivational speaker and a bestselling, award winning author, Priya Kumar is the CEO of Priya Kumar's Training Systems. Priya has worked with the best names in the corporate world. Her interactive and at times unconventional methods of training continue to deliver much sought after tangible results. Apart from being a columnist for leading newspapers, Priya does several radio and television shows on Motivation and Peak Performance. Author of bestselling books, "I Am Another You" and "License to Live", Priya's powerful storytelling has touched the lives of people across the world.

Further information:

Book review: Midnight's Children

2012-01-31T20:54:00.002+05:30

Book: Midnight's Children
Author: Salman Rushdie
ISBN: 0099578514
ISBN-13: 9780099578512,978-0099578512
Binding: Paperback
Publishing Date: 1995
Publisher: Vintage
Edition: 1stEdition
Number of Pages: 464
Language: English

(Since there was so much of hue and cry about this author, I felt of breaking some rules and included a book I liked reading and I wrote about long time back. Thus, this is more of musing less of scrutiny- that I usually employ in Book reviews.)

It is difficult to deny the burden on the back, it’s prickly and heavy and how much we try to shrug it off, it sticks on harder….it’s the historical burden of the past. The language I am writing in right now, is essentially not mine, but borrowed from another land, my ways are not those of my people but an amalgamation of what I have and what I have borrowed. Thus it was never very difficult to understand this lingering sense of borrowed past, this impossible burden of past as I flipped through the first few pages of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children.

Salman Rushdie, has a made a name for himself as a controversial novel writer. All his novels are characterized by an epic sweep of narration, a plethora of allusions to real events, real people, mythological and literary characters, and hilarious, often ribald humour reminiscent of Tristram Shady.

Rushdie has written eleven fictions- Grimus(1975), Midnight’s Children(1981), Shame(1983), The Satanic Verses (1988), Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990), The Wizard of Oz (1992), East, West (1994), The Moor's Last Sigh (1995), The Ground Beneath Her Feet (1999), Fury (2001),Step Across This Line: Collected Nonfiction 1992 - 2002 (2002),Shalimar the Clown (2005) and The Enchantress of Florence (2008). And most of them speaks of good overcoming the evil force, or at least survives. Perhaps for this one might be forced to agree that Rushdie is a romantic who uses the medium of satire, much like his Indian counterparts and in his own way presents a story where past and present overlap to give a blurred future.

Midnight Children expresses an historical connection through the literary journey. This journey is again not singular; it is the journey of self and a nation. Born at the dawn of Indian independence and destined, upon his death, to break into as many pieces as there are citizens of India, Saleem Sinai manages to represent the entirety of India within his individual self. His is the writer-protagonist, a son of an Englishman who has seduced the wife of a Hindu street singer. He is educated at the Cathedral and John Connon’s Boy’s School in Bombay. He is the ‘Snotnose, Stainface, Baldy, Sniffer, Buddha and Piece-of-the-Moon’, who rise and fall is linked miraculously to the faith of a new born country.

The Mexican critic Luis Leal has said, "Without thinking of the concept of magical realism, each writer gives expression to a reality he observes in the people. To me, magical realism is an attitude on the part of the characters in the novel toward the world," or toward nature. He adds, "If you can explain it, then it's not magical realism."

Writers like García Márquez, who use magical realism, don't create new worlds, but suggest the magical in our world. And Marquez’s A Hundred years of Solitude had a great influence on Rushdie’s take on Midnight Children, especially in the context of the theme.

The theme of magic reality, the combination of the two heavy words makes its presence felt almost in every page of the novel, a sense of overlapping entities that further tries to invade the identity of the reader itself. Saleem Sanai talks of 365 voices jostling and shoving each other inside him. And as the reader travels along the course of the story, he finds himself becoming a part of those persistently chattering voice. This is magical, yet an undistinguished reality. For, even if a reader is born much after the main events supporting the novel, has occurred, its sweeping history has become his own history; an important identity that cannot be considered a ganglion and amputated right away. The above observation lies true when we are to recall the gory Jalianwala barg massacre, the pains of the Emergency period, the terrorist attacks and the Bangladesh war. At one point, in Midnight’s Children, Saleem, makes use of the metaphor of a cinema to explain his peculiar business of perception. The same can be used to understand the profound use of magic realism.

‘Suppose yourself in a large cinema, sitting at the first in the back row, and gradually moving up,… until your nose is almost pressed against the screen. Gradually the stars’ faces dissolve in the dancing grain; tiny details assume grotesque proportions; … it becomes clear that the illusion itself is reality.’

The movement towards the cinema screen is the metaphor for the narrative’s movement through time towards the present.

Thus Salaam Sinai is handcuffed to history. Rushdie has carefully drawn numerous parallels between the protagonist and his country, right from his face which resembles “the whole map of India” to his fortune which is “indissolubly chained to those of my country. Soothsayers had prophesied me, newspapers celebrated my arrival, politicos ratified my authenticity. I was left entirely without a say in the matter.”

This is exactly the problem of modern man who is driven by the whirling chaos around him. Salaam is just one such victim who stands in the middle of disturbance and turmoil and like a speechless witness chronologically tries to reproduce history. But his memory fails to maintain the accurate dateline. And factual errors are prominent symptoms. He frets over the accuracy of his story and worries about future errors he might make. Yet again continues in his own rhythm adding metaphors and images that increase the authenticity of the notion, India is a land of illusion, where magic and reality reside side by side, and quite often intermingle to give a renewed identity to the mundane existence.

Book Review: Where The Rainbow Ends

2011-12-20T11:27:00.000+05:30

Author: Dr. Sayantan Gupta

Format: paperback

Language: English

Pages: 103

Price: Rs. 200.00

Publishers: Power Publishers

ISBN Number: 978-93-81205-44-0

About the book:

Surprising how life turns us into something else—when you have more promising acumen left to be churned out from within. “Where the rainbow Ends” by Dr. Sayantan Gupta would leave you baffled at the intensity with which a doctor’s pen spreads emotions over leaves of notebooks with a urge to get published one in a life time to begin with. It is sheer commitment to a passion or flair-a question I will ask the readers to think of-for with poetic confidence the practicing Gynecologist is able to declare in the poem- “I write for You”-
Did you know?

That I write because

You make me write?

Yes, you inspire me

As you stir up all

My hidden emotions

And make a poet out of me.

The trend suggests that if you have crossed the half the way—it is time to recollect what all you have left behind. You try to analysis what all you have conquered, lost and grieved over and what new pleasures you have been able to successfully carry along with you- if not the the touch then perhaps the memories of it. If not the same old face, then perhaps a new one to take its place… I could almost feel the atonement hidden behind the assuring lines of “When You are Old”-

Even now if you feel all joy’s on the wane

In fountains of happiness, there’s somewhere some pain,

Do keep it in mind that I’m there with a balm

To ward off all hurt, make turmoil calm.

Don’t think I’m a cloud to cut off sunshine.

I’ve a little shade to offer, for in pain you’re mine.

Even when you grow old, an’ fear end’s near,

Even then at some crossroads you’d find me, my dear.

If celestial beings are watching us from above- then the genre of poetry is bound to thrive in the comforting presence of rebounding philosophy, teaching the otherwise reoccupied selfish minds to appreciate beauty if at its docile stages. Solitude yields to the establishment of one such poetic figurine of the Dr. Sayantan Gupta –

Far, far away,

In an unnamed plain

You stand alone

Bedecked in a simple sari,

White, bordered with scarlet,

Wrapped around to hide with grace

A beauty

Nature bequeathed.

Not much of the modern day chaotic humdrum, even though marked with antiquity in terms of linguistic revelations, the collection speaks in favor of positivity- even when delineating the saddening aspects of life. It is as if the book gets manifested into an indomitable motivator- pushing through the walls of the mental blocks of denial and bathing the dark alleys of your psyche with the first rays of the sun.

About the author:

Dr. Sayantan Gupta, is a Consultant Gynaecologist by profession, presently residing in and practicing at Malda, West Bengal, India. He is a trained Laparoscopic Surgeon as well.

Born in Chandannagar, West Bengal, on 24^th March, 1955, his entire schooling was in the city of Calcutta (now, Kolkata). After his school days, at the St. Joseph’s College, Calcutta, where he studied from KG Class till his Higher Secondary, he graduated in MBBS from the N.R.S. Medical College, Calcutta. Thereafter, he specialized in Gynaecology and Obstetrics, having completed his Post Graduation also from the Calcutta University.

In 2007 he quit Government Service and opted for exclusive private practice.

Writing is his passion. He writes prose, poetry and drama. Some of the dramas he had written have made successful stage productions.

An anthology of his poems in English, “Where the Rainbow Ends”, has been published in September, 2011.

He is an ardent Rotarian having served in different capacities at Club and District levels. This area of Service is his second passion. He has published two books; both widely acclaimed, on Rotarian subjects, one in Bengali and one in English. The book in English had got a very good review in the February issue of The Rotary News.

Further details:

Facebook Profile : facebook.com/sayantan.gupta

Website: sayantangupta.com.

Book Review: Entrapped

2011-12-13T19:24:00.008+05:30

Author: Sneha Kedar

Format: Paperback

Language: English

Pages: 192

Price: 125/-

Publishers: Cedar Books (Pustak Mahal imprint)

ISBN Number: 8122312462

About the Book:

My Entrapped had got kidnapped and thanks to the budding author – Sneha Kedar- my niece preferred getting caught in the maze of her alternate universe rather than returning the book to me!! It is a dream tale talking to you- that too when you have been made to pass through some waterfall and been inducted to a High School- you had the least inking about!

What made the child fiction series a hit- was the ongoing gripping tales- keeping a bunch of teenagers the common factors and throwing them into a new action packed adventure in every fresh story. Even if you are considering the one book tale of fantasy fiction- they will have the same clues and the same kind of keys to solve the puzzle. Interestingly, I was looking for a fresh clue with a new looking key thrown into a pond of the flaming “Entrapped” – and was happy to find the Faes and their god mothers fighting witches. Indeed it is some quite unexpected in the Indian scenario- where our fables and legends tend to influence young minds and are picked up with the belief that they will buy more readers even beyond the age bar. Once a grandmother like lady had mentioned that she preferred reading out new versions of “Bikram and Betal” rather than “the innocent “Peter Pan” to her knee size grand children. She reasoned –“That peter is up to nothing better and our Betal is at least educating.” Sneha’s “Entrapped” is not aligned to be too preachy- yet with it’s subtly the book triumphs at educating young minds that ways to analyze their personal life with settings quite similar to the era they beyond to. If it’s a teen targeted book- you should keep few pages for the teenie weenie love tale- and the void is well managed by Ryan Swift. Myra Bose is introduced without much ado- something I appreciated. The other characters like Carrie, Lona, Spark, Sera and Jack and portrayed categorically- with nuances to their attributed reveals gradually as the plot progresses.

I don’t mind picking up a book that is less punctuated with heavy words, less influential and least hyped yet powerful and poignant- after all- you are going through fan fiction texts even the crazy scribbling enthusiasts from the high school and the colleges are writing out their own versions of popular stories with a guild of conceptual theories of their own making. Thus, Sneha Kedar’s “Entrapped” begins with a bright promise.

About the author:

Sneha Kedar was born and raised in Mumbai, Maharastra. She is a graduate in Information Technology. Right now, she is pursuing her Masters in Computer Application from Mumbai University.

She is an avid reader and active blogger. She always enjoyed reading paranormal novels, which inspired her to pen down her debut novel, which is also a paranormal fiction. Few of her articles were published in India's leading newspaper, DNA.
Know more about her at – http://snehakedar.blogspot.com
or contact her at sneha.kedar13@gmail.com

Further Details:

Fan Page : EntrappedNovel

Official Website : snehakedar.blogspot.com

Author’s Blog : thingsblacknwhite.blogspot.com

Book Review: Overland

2011-12-01T23:36:00.000+05:30

Author: Mark Stephen Levy

Format: paperback

Language: English

Pages: 250 pages

Price: 98 rps

Publishers: Zorba Publishers (Gurgaon)

ISBN Number: 9788192066936, 978-8192066936

About the book:

A travelogue or a chronicle of an adventurous journey- a love story or simply a tale running across continents, if you are willing to look at Mark Stephen Levy’s “Overland” through my eyes- I would end up telling you—it is a book that says it all. Any book that makes you move through the shelves of your book almirah- is bound to be considered a good one- simply because you are spending more time with it. It leads you to commit yourself to voluntary reference work.

It is when a relationship dies abruptly- you feel the urge to either run after it to give it “the last try”- or run away from yourself to revive your broken heart. Was that the case for Danny Benson of Mark Stephen Levy’s “Overland”? Was Heather truly his destined partner for this life and beyond? She might have not shared the dreamy fiasco Danny had in mind- or else even in the rustic settings of a crude, war torn, opium growing country Danny would have never found the reason to listen to calls of his ailing heart- he would never have approved of Emily’s presence, her lingering thought, she sagacity having an euphoric effect on him. What goes away returns stands true- the old saying- or else would Danny ever end up meeting Emily at all?

You might have seen your Doctors of make shift hospitals falling in love- but in Mark Stephen Levy’s “Overland” love carrying you across countries- making you perform the unbelievable- at least reminding me of Khaled Hosseini’s , The Kite Runner and several of “Pamuk’s rendition. It is a journey wrapped in a colored paper that smells of thrill, with images of distant spices flavored in the colors of eternal pursuit and the final getting tied into a knot of a “scarf”. Am I sounding mysterious- that’s what the novel has to do with.

The story carries two possible sub plots- though the author might have skipped talking about one—leaving it mid way incomplete and seems to have been blown away by the surging tide of the other. Sergeant Jason Benson could have played a more vital role in the plot rather than being kept around the periphery of the main story just for establishing a flashback present time story line. Honestly speaking, I simply loved the capturing interest in the episodes stored of the Sergeant and did commit the Divine crime of flipping through the book- just to read and sigh- “What happens to The Jason?” For all those still disappointed fans of Jason- Mark has promised a sequel dedicated to him.

About the author:

Mark Stephen Levy mined certain portions of his traveling adventures from his own love story which was partly the inspiration for his first novel, Overland. He met his wife, Eliane, originally from France, while on a camel safari in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. They have been married for 25 years and have a 19 year-old daughter, Celine. His two year round-the-world journey included all throughout Europe, Morocco, India, Nepal, Tibet and China.

Mark was born and raised in Los Angeles for so many years, then moved to Denver, Colorado (US) with his family 15 years ago.

further details:

FB profile www.facebook.com/TheRealMarkStephenLevy
FB Fan page: www.facebook.com/pages/Overland-in-India
Overland website & blog: http://www.overlandthebook.com/

take a breather- join me

2011-10-21T13:27:00.003+05:30

Alright! we all know the weekends are coming our way--some of us would fret it behind closed doors, some would get drunk and party with friends, some would spend it with their loving family and others would watch the night sky and simply sigh on and on. The weekends would perhaps be no different for me from now on...thus--- guys and gals- (striking out the age bar)--inviting you to:

Steal some of these from the nosy shopkeeper round the corner:

hey boys! I know you all are digging your hands inside your pockets- but yes- lets give the hackneyed neighbour a piece of our prank:

for once lets walk in a line over the haunted house wall (dare me)!!

and let's go on a joy ride- wanna try Ramdas and company's Rickshaw-(hussh we can still trick him- he is snoring through his towel :)-

The day is done with listening to the lonely widow's fantastic tales of unknown places:

And when I sleep off without notice- remember to, smile and blow a kiss :)

(Sometime or the other- we all wish to be kids once again- to surge off troubles in life- you might like or you might not even wish to join me in this journey backwards in time- never mind--as long as you flash a sweet grin--I know I made you feel better)

I don't own any of the above images by the way- Keep safe viewers, comment-ors and smiling faces.

The Hug

2011-10-17T10:35:00.000+05:30

Holding close,
You whispered.
"take it all".

Breathing in a hug-
I took your warmth.
Took your unsaid words.
Took back my sharp accuses.

Took the reason to smile at peace.

my eliachi choclate drink

2011-09-30T22:32:00.001+05:30

2011-09-30T21:10:00.001+05:30

who-am-i-waiting?

Who Am I?

2011-09-30T20:58:00.001+05:30

Who Am I?
Waiting down the line?
peeping over the crowd?
Nibbling a blade of grass?
Rubbing my toe?
Twisting my lonely curl?
Smiling at my hazy reflection?
Peeping out to greet the night?
Tilting my head shyly?
Batting my eyes coyly?
Giving you the teasing, questioning look?

Not your lover
Neither your wife
Nor the maam
You visit at nine.
I am your heart
Beating somber...

Against the door kept ajar
Below the whining moon.

Tired of being sorry

2011-09-25T14:11:00.000+05:30

I don't know why

You wanna follow me tonight?

When in the rest of the world

With whom I've crossed and I've quarreled

Let's me down so

A thousand reasons that I know

To share forever the unrest

With all the demons I possess beneath the silver moon

Maybe you were right

But baby I was lonely

I don't wanna fight

I'm tired of being sorry

Keep the oceans dry

With all the vampires and their brides

We're all bloodless and blind

And longing for a life beyond the silver moon

Maybe you were right

But baby I was lonely

I don't wanna fight

I'm tired of being sorry

I'm standing in the street

Crying out for you

No one sees me

But the silver moon

So far away

So outer space

I've trashed myself I've lost my way

I've got to get to you got to get to you

Maybe you were right

But baby I was lonely

I don't wanna fight

I'm tired of being sorry

I'm standing in the street

Crying out for you

No one sees me

But the silver moon

Maybe you were right

But baby I was lonely

I don't wanna fight

I'm tired of being sorry

I'm standing in the street

Crying out for you

No one sees me

But the silver moon

Maybe you were right

Cynically Tender

2011-09-24T16:04:00.001+05:30

How much it takes

To drop some hint

Down the brim

Of your luscious lips-

Into the painfully

Rational being called life?

Nothing-

It takes only a touch,

So tender,

So vile…

To robe

Me of

Cynical insanity.

To Uncle Pai

2011-09-17T13:45:00.003+05:30

To,

Uncle Pai,

Back then I was too small to even think you made those picture books for me...

But the block books of Amar Chitra Katha- I got to flip through during sultry summers- were your creation.

Thanks to the two brothers who thought it to be wise enough to hand me down their comic series, it kept me occupied.Their Mother had done an excellent job by binding the thin comic books together so that about forty to fifty books turned into on TOME. They were brilliant educative bricks indeed- for me at least and sad heavy bundles for my parents- who would have to carry them for me!

Thus a young mother could get busy at kitchen well her tiny tot could take all the advantage of the pillows and the cushions and sprawl out on the floor, create a kiddish castle for herself and flip through the fantastic picture. and I made great friends with Gandhi, Birbal, Tanali Raman, Buddha--whooosh---long list- folks I guess I have read up all of them :P

Sorry to say--um I was too small to read the dialogue bubbles back then.

Sorry again- I did tear off the edges of few of the pages absent minded.
Sorry once more- I slept over them-- with drools running down at free will.
Sorry yet again- I was selfish and never shared the block binds with visiting play mates at evening.
Okay- once more sorry--I drew crawling spiders all over the pages!!
and yet again- how I would thump my chest like he man and king kong in primary class, fight with the boys telling them -"I read fat books do you! huh! you are n't even strong enough silly boys!"

Since you would never complain (How come?!)

I would even learn to practice figure drawing by tracing out my favorite character--with each pencil out line and squeezing fingers--thick black borders would soon appear--- ouch what a torture on the paper!!

Sad enough-- none of them survived the years...

Google doodle and the wanderer salutes you :) rest in peace...

regards,

wanderer

Mistress of Begotten TIme

2011-09-17T12:22:00.000+05:30

" I will live though beyond your days, with your warm memories wrapped around me sheltering me through lonely nights"

Planting those thoughts,
On the way to the chapel,
Where the soldier's wife,
looks over,
The new burial,
Fondly holding,
Within herself,
His caresses and promises,
His unlived dreams,
His mirthful deeds,
Hi last farewell,
And his unborn child.

The red firmament
Above
bows to the brave
Stopping at her
Quiet eyes
She will live
Unlike the others
A woman of honor
A mistress of begotten time
A mother to be.